I went to a place nearby that came highly recommended to ask about a price for a repaint of my 79.
I was told $7000.
I asked what the price would be if I stripped it myself. He said $3500.

Does this sound crazy or reasonable?

Depends on what you want out of the paint job. $7000.00 sounds high to me but maybe that is for a next to perfect show quality paint job. At $3500.00 he will still have a fair amount of prep work to get the car ready for paint. Stripping is hard, patient, tedious work to do and not gouge the underbody.

I would ask around some and see if you can locate somebody else who will do you a nice job for less.

My guy stripped 8 coats, 5 different colors with a razor blade, fitted the snorkel hood and filled 2 spots, put glass nose and tail cap on and painted all for $3500. 

He now wants the car back as there are pinhole sink spots on the fenders and the crack on the inner fender is coming thru the paint on the passenger side fender.  He says no charge to rework.  I plan to give him around $300 to $500 for the additional work he has planned.

I'd say it's a bit high.

71Shark had his painted by the guy I used.  Not sure what he paid.

Depends on what you expect. I paid $3000 for the paint on the '74, and they have done it SIX TIMES...and it still ain't right. I finally gave up...

I had a good friend that owns a high-end body shop give me an estimate for $5000 at the same time...I should have gone ahead and let him do it, but I just couldn't afford it at the time.
I've seen his work, and it is second to none.

I would expect a really nice, professional job that will survive, for $7000. I can't believe they would want you to strip it(the paint) yourself. Most places wouldn't want to touch it like that...they can't control the outcome, and any problems that may occur down the road, they're gonna pawn off on the "bad job of stripping"...
IF they meant that you could strip all of the interior, and trim off, that's different, but it wouldn't be worth $3500, I don't think.

What about having the car media blasted? Wouldn't it be cheaper than stripping? ($3,500.)  KDADDY792008-05-05 20:25:12

$6,000 to $8,000  ... Is pretty normal bid around here.  For a "Vette"! Do any of your parts need refitted? Bumpers, Hood and doors? Type of paint? 1, 2 or 3 stage paint? Driver or Show Paint Job.... that's all the questions I was asked when looking for a paint job. I could have got a $3,000 to $4,000 paint job but I chose not to take any chances.
   If you pay a little more you can be more picky and will probably be told you can bring it back if the paint fails in any way.
   The shop I finally ended up taking my Vette to said the stripping ( 3 coats) wasn't that big of a deal for them. Correcting previously done poor work. Like seams and fitments was the main cost with extra for the paint I chose.

Six years ago, I needed a new body man, so I just started asking around at car shows whenever I saw a paint job that I liked "Who painted it?"  Notice I asked "Who" as I'd been through it before where I used a trusted shop AFTER the employee upon whose work their reputation was entirely based had left for greener pastures.  Time after time, I kept hearing the same two or three names and the prices all over $10,000.  Finally, I found an old Camaro Convertible that looked every bit as good as the big boys that had been painted for $4000 by a hispanic man who'd just recently opened his own shop.  I had another car painted and sent him a couple of friends that all turned out awsome too.  But now his shop is so big that he doesn't do any of the work himself anymore and mostly, he just does late model insurance claims, so next time, I'll probably have to hunt down somebody else.  I guess the moral to the story is that there are some very skilled folks out there who mabe just aren't that well known yet or otherwise just don't charge a very high shop rate.  Good luck.

I quote I got for my 73 was about $11,000. Thats total skin and a egg shell coat so the new paint last.

$7000 is the starting point here for a good Vette paint job. That is by a Vette specialist that has been doing them for over 40 years. There is a year long waiting list. Most of his jobs exceed $8500. I am never going to spend that on one that I drive regularly.

Scott

Adam, it cost 5,000 to get mine done and I didnt think that was bad. Corvette shops in Austin wanted 9,000 just to look, seen one of there paint jobs that cost 10,000 and mine beat it out at a car show.I'd be leary of the cheap guy, my materials alone cost about 1500+just be careful, several places just dont pay close attention in detail.